Arbitrary arrest & detention

PAKISTAN: A young man was tortured with an electric drill machine; the Chief Minister announces the formation of a medical board after three months of his death

Dear friends, The case of a young man from the province of Punjab exposes the lethargic and arrogant attitude of the government, the doctors and the influence of police. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young man of 29 years was abducted by five police informers kept him for nine […]

INDONESIA: Activists are detained by the police for reporting deaths due to lack of medical treatment in Tambrauw, Papua

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the detention of two activists by the Sausapor Sub-District Police in Papua. The activists were taken from their house to the police station and were being interrogated in relation to an investigation they conducted regarding the death of villagers in Tambrauw Regency due […]

PHILIPPINES: Police investigators concludes torture victims’ testimony as hearsay to justify refusal to prosecute policemen

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the local police have concluded that it will not prosecute policemen accused of torture because the victims’ testimonies are hearsay. They will not take action unless they are “formalized as complaint”. We earlier asked for an investigation on the victims allegations that […]

INDONESIA: Victim of torture and fabrication of charges in Surabaya is left without reparation

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from a local organisation on a case regarding the torture and fabrication of charges of a man by the police. The Supreme Court has found the man to be not guilty of theft as accused and ordered suitable rehabilitation to be granted to the victim. […]

SRI LANKA: An innocent man died after being illegally arrested and tortured by the Polpithigama Police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Vidana Mahaduralage Somarathne, a farmer by possession, was illegally arrested, detained and severely tortured by the four police officers attached to the Polpithigama Police on 20 March 2013 at Ma Eliya Junction. Mr. Vidana started screaming in pain in the early morning […]

PHILIPPINES: Police detain an ailing man as a substitute for a wanted man

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding an appeal about the ongoing illegal detention of an ailing man. The police illegally arrested and detained the victim, an Arabic teacher, at the hospital where he was being treated for a heart ailment as a substitute for a wanted man for whom there is […]

INDONESIA: Two teenagers are arrested and detained for two weeks over fabricated charges in Paniai, Papua

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the arrest and detention of two teenagers based on fabricated charges in Paniai, Papua. The police arrested them after finding a woven bag filled with a cartridge and other materials associated with pro-independence movement, which did not belong to either of them but […]

PAKISTAN: A couple was abducted from Nepal, arrested and tortured in India to confess that they were agents of the ISI and were planning to assassinate chief minister of Gujrat

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a newlywed Pakistani couple was abducted from Nepal by agents of the Indian intelligence agencies while they were leaving for Pakistan. They were quickly shifted to India where they were kept in a private torture cell for 17 days where they suffered severe […]

PHILIPPINES: Notes on the trial observation of falsely charged activist

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is sharing with you the notes taken during the trial observation of falsely charged activist, Temogen ‘Cocoy’ Tulawie. As mentioned earlier, the trial of Tulawie’s case had already been transferred to Manila and he is presently now detained in that city. After his trial was moved to […]

SRI LANKA: The Recent Suppression of Tamil Voice at Vavuniya

A group of hundreds of relatives of the disappeared from Mannar and Vavuniya were to arrive on the 5th night in Colombo by buses to share with the people in the South their pathetic stories about the disappearances of their loved ones during and after the war, and then to present a petition to the […]

SRI LANKA: An innocent man has been detained for two months by the TID without being produced in court

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Balasundaram Jeyamagudam (32) was illegally arrested, detained and severely tortured by Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) officers for two months without being produced in court. He is married and has a son aged 6. Balasundaram was never involved in the any of the […]

SRI LANKA: An innocent man has been detained for more than four years

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Kitnasami Rajendran(57) of Udayarkattu North, Udayarkattu in Mullaitivu District was illegally arrested in 2008 and has been detained without trial for more than four years. He was tortured in the custody of the Colombo Criminal Investigation Division and is now detained at […]

SRI LANKA: An innocent man is detained after a Magistrate released him, severely tortured and is still awaiting trial

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Varnakulasingham Arulanandam was rearrested by the Terrorist Investigation Division after he was released by a court of law for lack of evidence. He has been severely tortured, his wife has only been allowed to visit him twice and there is no indication […]

SRI LANKA: A young man was tortured by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Matara

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Janaka Darshana Kumara was arrested on suspicion of rape by Officer-in-Charge of Sub Police Watch, Deniyaya, while Janaka was at his sister’s place. He was taken to Matara Headquarters Police Station where he was tortured brutally, harassed sexually and detained illegally by […]

BANGLADESH: Police arbitrarily detain a woman and her teenage daughter whom officers sexually abused on several occasions

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the police of Kushtia district tortured five women from one family. Three of them were detained arbitrarily, followed by illegal arrests and raids on their house without a warrant. One of the teenage girls, studying in college, was sexually abused by police officers […]

PAKISTAN: A young man was tortured to death in military custody in Azad Kashmir

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young man was tortured and killed in military custody within 24 hour of his arrest. The only apparent reason for his arrest was the fact that he passed by a military zone along the Indian border in Pakistani held Kashmir. His body […]

PHILIPPINES: Vendors face forced eviction and food insecurity

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Defend Job Philippines about an eviction notice served on the vendors of Luneta Park (also called Rizal Park) in Manila. The proposed eviction will not merely leave the vendors jobless but also jeopardize their food security. It would also render many of them […]

INDONESIA: Seven Papuans are arrested and tortured on false allegations of having a relationship with pro-independence activists

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the arbitrary arrest and torture of seven Papuans which took place on 15 February 2013. The victims were driving home in two cars when the police stopped them as they were looking for two pro-independence activists. The victims were later brought to the […]

PAKISTAN: Government ignores investigations in the case of death of a young labourer by police torture

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the government has not made any progress in the case of the death of a young man in police custody. The police attempted to throw the dead body at a garbage center but the people saw this and shouted for help. The police […]

BURMA: Islamic community leader unfairly tried and imprisoned over communal violence

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received detailed information concerning the case of a prominent retired medical doctor and Islamic community leader in the west of Burma imprisoned for allegedly sending news abroad about the first wave of violence in his town during mid-2012. Border security personnel detained Dr Tun Aung in […]